Circular-knitting machine.



W. LARKIN. CIRCULAR KNITT |NG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2i. I915.

1,178,243 Patented Apr. 4,1916.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

w QLARKEN.

CIRCULAR KNITHNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.2|.19xs.

1 178,243. i Patented Apr. 4,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 UNITED STATES OFFICE.

WALTER LARKIN, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR- T0 BRINTON COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. t, 1916.

Application filed September 21, 1915. Serial No. 51,842.

To all whom it may concern:

on the dial post, the arrangement of parts being such that the weight of the bobbins is carried on a frame supported either directly on a part of the fixed frame 01' the machine or carried by the cylinder cam rin Another object of the invention is to provide a circular knitting machine ot the dogless type with novel means tor carrying the weight of its bobbins upon a portion ot the frame winch, in one form ot the apparatus,

is also utilized to prevcntrotatmn ot' the dial post and its associated parts, .the invention also contemplating a construction designed to st *ady and b 'acc certain 01' the parts un .dcr operating conditions.

A further object ol the invention is to provide a novel combination o'l' parts tor ,supporting and rotating the bobbins ot'a circular knitting machine. which means shall also carry or serve as the yarn guide or guides and at the same time. provide means forsupporting and holding :lrom rotation the (lial and its associated parts.

These objects and other advantageous ends I SUClll. as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to tl accompanying drawings, in which:

Figurel is a side elevation ol snllicient of a. circular knitting machine to illustrate my invention; Fig. 2 is a. central vertical section o'lthc apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Figs.

3 and l are horizontal sections taken respec- H tivcly on the lines (L -11. Zlll(l /)--Z) Fig. 2;

v Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bobbin supporting ring with certain of its associated parts: Fig. (3 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line -(1 Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a central vertical section of a slightly modified form of my invention; and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating another modification. i

In Figs. 1 to Got the above drawings, 1 represents the cylindcr and 2 the dial of a ircular knitting machine whose cvlinrlor cam ring is indicated in dotted lines at 3.-

The main frame of the machine is designed to support three vert cal standards 4, whose top portions are continued in the form of 8' 5 w ng a ring (3. and constituting therewith a relatively stationary frame. To this latter ring is rigidly but rcinovablv fixed a second inwardly projecting ring 7 having an upwardly extending flange S and providing a horizontal bearing surface for a rotary l ol bin-supporting ring 9. As shownin Fig. 5. this has four upwardlv extending arms orbrackets 10-10 and 1111, :arrying at a suitable distance above it the bobbin supporting head 1; from which radiate arms 13 directly supporting the bobbins. It will be noted that the bases of the arms 10 are laterally extended and that diamctrical slots 14- are formed through opposite portions of the ring 9 as well as in the wide bases of said arms. Into said slots extend vertical bars 13 formed as part, or as shown in Fig. 3. dctzu-hably secured to sides, of a circular web [(3 carried by two arms 17 which in turn are mounted on posts 18 extending upwardly trom opposite sides of the cylinder am ring 3. The driving arms or bars 15 closely lit the slots 1t and constitute driving members whereby the ring 9 and its associated parts are rotated. Moreover these driving posts '15 constitute yarn guides, for they have downwardly extending, inwardly inclined passages 19 through which thcyarn passes either directly or indirectly from the bobbins to the needles of the machine. .\s illustrated, the lower ends of the driving bars 1.3 are mounted in recesses in the sides of the circular web 16; being rcmovably held in place by screws 20. The dial 2 is mounted on the lower end of a mar-rotatable shaft 21 constituting the dial post, on which is rotatably mounted a flanged plate 2:2 carrying or constituting the support and actuating means for the dial cams 23. This latter is driven by an arm 24: fixed to a member '22 and engaged by one of the posts 15 so that it is carried around in unison with the cylinder cam ring 3.

Resting upon and rotatable with the circular web Hi and arms 17 is a cam disk 25, having in its top l'acc a groove :21 provided with two oppositely disposed cam portions :57 and designed for the reception of downwardly projecting pins or rollers 39, of

Which in the present instance there are four,

tat

respectively fixed to dogs 29 radially slidable in suitable slots 30 formed in the ring 7. Mounted on the dial post immediately above and resting upon the cam plate 25 is a disk 32 having in its edges four notches respectively designed for the reception of the inner ends of the dogs 29, whereby said disk is prevented from rotation with said plate The upper end of the dial post 21 has mounted on it a threaded collar on which is screwed a nut 34- whose lower edge or face rests upon a flange or hub projecting upwardly from and formed as part of the disk 32. Said collar 33 is preferably held to the dial post by a pin 35 and is connected to the disk by a second vertically extending pin 36 projecting from it into a suitable recess in the hub thereof. \Vhen, therefore, it is desirable to raise or lower the dial 2 relative to the cylinder 1, this may be quickly and conveniently accomplished by screwing up or down on the nut 34, the pin 36 preventing relative rotation of the collar 33 and the disk while allowing of their independent vertical movement.

Under ulitions of operation, the frame formed h" parts 4, 5 and 6 with the ring 7, is statirmary, since it is mounted on a fixed part of the machine, while on the other hand, the cylinder cam ring 3 with the posts 18, arms 17 and 15, ring 9, bobbin head 12, and the bobbin supporting arms 13 are all rotated. For this reason therefore the cam portions 27 of the groove 26 act upon the pins or rollers E28 and move the dogs 2%) outwardly in succession just before they are passed by the driving bars 15, which extend through the annular space between the disk 32 and the inner edge of the ring 7. As soon, as said bars have passed an opposite pair of the dogs, these latter are moved inwardly until their inner ends enter the notches in the edge of the disk 22, so that this latter with the dial post 21 and dial 2 are held from turning, while the second pair of dogs is withdrawn from engagement with said disk in order to permit of the continued revolution of the driving bars 15 with the strands of yarn carried by them from the bobbins to the needles.

It will be noted that by the above construction the weight of the bobbins is car ried solely by the arms 10 and 11 and ring 9, from which it is transferred through ring 7, the arms 5 and post 4 to the fixed frame of the machine. Obviously, therefore, such weight can have no effect upon the dial post or its associated parts, so that the machine is absolutely independent ofthe manner in which the weight of the bobbins is distributed as well as of the tilting or distorting effect which any unbalancing of said weight would otherwise produce.

Instead of carrying the weight of the bobbins directlv down to the fixed frame of the machine, I may as shown in Fig. 7, support the bobbin head 12 through the arms 17 and posts 18 upon the cylinder cam ring 3. For this purpose I provide the bobbin head with two downwardly projecting lugs L0 and to these rigidly connect the driving bars 15, whose lower ends as above are connected by screws to the circular web 16 and the arms 17. These driving bars likewise have inclined passages serving as yarn guides and the sup iiorting ring 7 is provided with the necessary guides for the dogs 29, which as before, are designed to prevent rotation of the disk 32 while being successively reciprocated in their slots to allow the revolution of the driving bars 15 in the annular space between the disk 32 and the ring 7.

\Vhile as shown in Fig. 7, the outer portions of the plate 25 are spaced away from the frame ring 6, said plate may be extended as shown in Figs. 2 and 8 so that its edges bear against the inner edge of such ring which in such case has the shape indicated at 6. Since said ring is rigidly supported, itimparts additional rigidity to the dial post, which extends through the plate 25 and its relatively long hub, thus further serving to steady the dial 2. In order to prevent oil from dropping from the engaging portions of the ring 6 and plate 25, I

provide the former with an inwardly extending lip 15 as illustrated in Fig. 7.

ln the structure of Fig. 7 as in the previous case, the weight of the bobbins or any effect due to the unbalanced distribution of said weight, is effectually prevented from disturbing the action of the dial and its associated parts since in this case no part of the device other than the arms 17, posts 18, and cylinder cam ring 3 is in any way acted on or affected by said weight.

I claim:-

1. The combination in a circular knitting machine of an annular structure supported on the main frame thereof; a disk concentric therewith; a cylinder; a cylinder cam ring; arms carried by the cam ring, extending through and rotatable in an annular. space between said disk and the annular structure; a bobbin head rotated by said arms; and automatically reciprocated dogs operative across said annular space for preventing revolution of the disk; with a dial supported by the disk.

The combination in a circular knitting machine of an annular structure supported on the main frame thereof; a disk concentric therewith; a cylinder; a cylinder cam ring; arms having a yarn guide or guides and carried by the cam ring so as to extend through and rotate in an annular space between the disk and the annular structure; bobbin supporting means rotated by said arms; auto matically reeiprocated dogs operative across said annular space for preventing revolution of the disk; with a dial supported by the diskr 3. The combination in a circular knitting machine having a stationary cylinder, a dial,

' projecting through an annular space hetween the disk and said portion of the frame; bobbin supporting means rotated by said arms; radially slidable dogs' on the fixed frame; and a cam for successively projecting the dogs into and Withdrawing them from engagement with the disk.

4:. The combination in a circular knitting machine of a cylinder; a cylinder cam ring;

vertically extending arms carried by said cam ring; bobbin supporting means rotated by said arms; a dial; a dial post a disk fixed to the dial post a plate rotatable on the dial post and carried by the arms; an annular member non-rotatably supported out side of the arms; and automatically operated means for preventing rotation of the disk while allowing rotation of the arms'outside of the same. I

5. The combination in a circular knitting machine of an annular member carried by the fixed frame thereof; a ring rotatably mounted on said member and transversely slotted; a bobbin-carrying structure supported on said ring; a plurality of oppositely disposed rotatable driving arms entering the slot of said ring to turn the same; a cyhn-' dcr; a dial; a member for supporting the dial adjacent the cylinder; and means for preventing rotation of said membe while permitting rotation of the arms.

6. The combination in a circular knitting machine of an annular member carried by the fixed frame thereof; a ring rotatably mounted on said member and having a phi-- rality of upwardly extending .forked arms; a bobbin-carrying structure supported on the arms of said ring; a rotatable driving arm extending between the forks of the arms of said ring to turn the same; a cylinder; a dial; a member for supporting the dial adjacent the cylinder; and means for preventing rotation of said member and dial while pern'iitting rotation of the arm.

7 The combination in a circular knitting machine of an annular member carried by the fixed frame thereof; a ring rotatable on said member; a bobbi'n support carried by said ring; a cylinder; a dial :a disk for supand dial porting the same; cam rings for the cylinder and dial respectively; a plurality of arr carried by the cylinder cam ring and projecting vertically between the annular 1nember and dial. supporting disk; a plate carried by the arms and supporting said disk adjacent the plane of the annular member; a cam on said plate; and dogs ope 'ative by the cam between the disk and the annular member, for preventing rotation of said disk.

8. The combination in a circular knitting machine of a-dial; a dial post; means for adjust-ably supporting said post consisting of a non-rotatable disk; a threaded sleeve fixed to the post; a nut threaded on said -sleeve and operative against part of the disk; with means for locking together the sleeve and the disk to prevent relative rotation thereof while permitting their longitudinal movement.

9. The combination in a circular knitting machine of an annular member carried on the fixed frame thereof; a ring rotatably mounted on said member and having two upwardly extending arms, said ring and the bases of the arms being transversely slotted; a bobbin support carried by saidarms; and

rotatable driving arms proJccting into thev transverse slots of the ring for rotating the same.

10. The combination in a circular knitting machine of an annular member carried on the fixed frame thereof; a ring rotatably mounted on said member and having upwardly extending arms. said ring and the bases of the arms being transversely slotted; a bobbin support carried by said arms; rotatable driving arms projcdting into the transverse slots of the ring for rotating the -'same; a dial; a dial post supporting the same; and means for locking said dial post.

to the annular member to prevent its rotation while permitting operation of said driving arms.

11. The combination in a circular knitting machine of an annular member carried on the fixed frame'thcreot'; a dial; a dial post; a rotary plate supporting the dial post and having its edge in bearing en agement with the annular member; a cylinder: a cam ring therefor; bobbin supporting arms carried by said ring and extending above said plate; and mechanism for holding the dial post from turning while allowing rotation of said bobbin supporting arms.

\VA LTER LARKIN. 

